Update #7: Day 7

Day 7 (July 30) – Official Adoption Decree

 

We got up at 6:30-7am this morning, and went for breakfast.  Joanna continues to amaze us.  She watches and mimics very well!  We used chopsticks for part of our meal, and the knife & fork for the other.  Even though she had never used either a fork or knife, she quickly adapted and started using them of her own accord, although only one at a time due to limitations with her right hand.  She points out what she likes and we put it on her plate.  She is a very good eater.

 

We met Nancy, our rep, at 8:30am and returned to the government office to finalize the adoption!  The caregivers came, too, as the orphanage then officially turns over responsibility to us.  We took pictures together, and then departed.  It was hard to watch our girl shed tears again.  She is very brave, and tried hard not to cry.  At the end of the process, we received the official adoption decree!  She is ours now!  Yea!

 

We went to the mall to the Japanese restaurant again for lunch.  Our new little one likes chicken – the fried type.  So, fried chicken and fries are popular – who would have thought, huh?  J  Chick-fil-A should be a big hit!

 

The girls colored some pictures, and then the kids played a game of hide-and-seek in the hotel room with the emergency flashlight in the room.  Very cute!!

 

This evening, we went out for a couple of walks and to Papa John’s for dinner.  Tasted like…Papa John’s.  Joanna really liked it, and seemed more comfortable with it – she was getting her own pieces of pizza, versus waiting for our help or asking permission at the Japanese noodles restaurant.  However, she was not hoarding food, which is very common among orphanage children.  In fact, she was very attentive to the food needs of those around her, handing out more slices to Hannah as she was finishing the last piece on her plate. 

 

We had some very fun moments today – mostly associated with bubbles (the containers with the wands).  She really enjoys them and loved blowing them for all of us.  Lots of lovely smiles!  We had a fun time playing with balloons, too.  (blowing them up, letting them go and whoosh all over the hotel room, making them squeak as the air is slowly let out, bopping them up in the air to keep them from touching the ground)